PRESIDENT'S CORNER        Kelly Parker, P.E.  President: GWS

January, 2009

It's Working!

Energy use is down. Americans are driving 5% less now than a year ago. Gasoline consumption has dropped for 11 consecutive months (WSJ 11/26/08). Electrical consumption is on a downward trend also. Parts of the country are seeing a 3% decrease in electrical consumption overall, but the household use is where those gains are approaching 7%.

The message of conservation and efficiency is working, but is everyone happy about that? When utility companies invest $2 trillion in long term projects those monies are based on a projected 1-2% annual increase in consumption. If the rate design is “decoupled” from usage then the base rate of delivery is increased to cover the basic costs. This means consumers who have a lower consumption rate experience higher utility costs.

Kelly Parker, P.E.
President, Guaranteed Watt Saver,Inc.

February, 2009

Where are You at?

In the Great Scheme of Home Building energy efficiency as the new paradigm has arrived. Mandatory Energy Ratings for all new and existing homes at time of sale are on their way. Energy Efficiency IS the hot issue for most consumers looking to buy a home.

A recent report by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs says significant energy savings are possible if consumers are armed with credible, understandable energy efficiency information when buying a home or considering home energy upgrades.

So, where are you in the great scheme of things? Energy Efficient Building is the only good course of action for the future. We at GWS strongly urge all home builders to educate themselves on the various Green programs available like LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), NAHB's National Green Building Standard™ , the Department of Energy's Builder Challenge and, of course, RESNET's HERS INDEX which is becoming the national standard for home rating.